Apparatus for aiding in the forming and nailing of boxes



Jana" 12 1926.

1,569,145 w. c. SHARP APPARATUS FAOR AIDING IN THE FORMING AND NAILINGOF BOXES Filed Oct. 8, 1924 'ZZ Z5 .358

Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oeFFICE.'

WILIBUR'C. SHARP, 0F CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR AIDINGr IN' THE FORMING AND NAILINGi OF BOXES.

Application filed October 8, 1924. Serial No. 742,336.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILBUR C. SHARP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Camarillo, in the county of Ventura and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Aiding in theForming and Nailing of Boxes, of which the following is a specica-tion.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for aiding in theforming and nailing of box bodies and more particularly for holding theends of a box while the bottom is being nailed on the lower edges of theends and for holding the cleats positioned on the top edges of the endswhile the cleats are being secured prior to fastening the top on thebody.

This invention is adapted for use in assembling and securing these partstogether in the production of what is commonly termed the Los Angeleslug but it will be `understood that it is equally applicable in themanufacture of any type of box employing the parts with which myinvention is adapted for use.

In the assembling and fastening together of the parts of boxes or lugsin box `forms, the operators called hand nailers become very expert andproduce a large number of box bodies in a given time. It has beencustomary to use very crude means for assisting the operator in his workand it is the primary object of this invention to provide simple andeffective means for aiding the operator so. that a much larger number 0fbodies can be produced each day and so that' his work is facilitatedandmade comparatively easier.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, Fig. 1is a plan of my invention showing two ends of a box held in position bymy invention,to receive the bottom of the box on the lower ends; Fig. 2is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sideelevation showing the box held by my invention in position to receivethe cleats on the top edges of the ends, and Fig. 4 is a plan of adetail showing the gripper members in closed position and holding acleat in position to be nailed.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing the two ends A and B of a box, the parts ofwhich are to be assembled and fastened are shown held iby my inventionin position to receive the -usual bottom not shown. 12 and 13 are a pair,of parallel side arms against .the ,inner faces of which the two ends Aand B are adapted to be held tightly positioned by the presser arms 14and 15. A suitable base or support 16 is provided upon which said sidearms are mounted, the arm 12 being depressible outwardly while the arm13 is held rigidly. Guide pins 17, vertical sup* ports 18 on the basethrough which the pins slide freely, expansion springs 19 encirclingsaid pins and wing nuts 20 serve to hold the arms 12 in innermostposition to support the end member A. The presser arms 14 and 15 carryantifriction rollers 21 on their outer ends which contact against theends A and B to hold the latter positioned. The inner ends of saidpresser arms are pivoted by the vertical shafts 22 on the back member 23of the device near the back ends of the side members 12 and 13 so thatthe presser arms may be swung forwardly and backwardly until the rollersstrike against said back member in the broken line position shown inFig. 1 and in the full line position shown in Fig. 3.

As soon as a nailer finishes nailing the bottom to the two ends A and B,he withdraws the body portion of the box thus partly formed out of thedevice and then nails on the two sides of the box, either entirely byhand or by the aid of what is usually termed a drop The body of thebox'is then returned into the device, open side up, with its endsbetween the side members 12 and 13, the latter acting as a guide and theside member 12 being depre'ssible outwlardly to accommodate anyunevenness of the box body. In performing this operation the back wallofthe box body strikes against the rollers 21 and pushes the presser arms14 and 15 back out of the way until the rollers impinge against the back23. The rollers then act as stops for the box body. The sides 12 and 13and back 23 are of open work construction so that the presser arms androllers may work freely in assuming their positions. This movementcauses the closing of two pairs of cleat grippers C and I) into theposition shown in broken lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines shown in Fig.4.

Each pair of grippers consists of two members, one the outer arm 25which is Y l io..

tlVhenthe uneoinpleted box body is returned open `side up between theside meinbers 12 and 13 its innermost side 85 strikes againsttherollers-21andpushes the presser arinsfle-, and lbaek until therollers strike upon cleats Blaid alongtlie upper edges of thceiidsofpthe box body and retain them in suitable position while tiiena'ileinails them to the ends in Atheexaet position desired. Atterthusnailing', thelbox body can be slid forwardly out of the apparatus.Theveleats Y kcan be laid along the upper edges of the ends of the boxbody before orr after the grippers close When in lclosed position theyare spaced apart and perfrnitthe cleat to be easily inserted betweenthem. The outermost spring clips depend overthe sides o't' the endsor"lthe box body-so as to align the cleats correctly and the innermostspring clips are not as wide so that cleai'ance is provided tory them toswing' clearly above the box body'. f s

The apparatus may be variously moditied within the spirit ot' myinvention, the oonst-i'uction shown bei-*ngi` only illustrative' of oneembodiment. -v

Having' described` myinvention what I claim as-new and-desire to secureby Lett-ers atent is:

1. Apparatusfor aidingiin the forming and nailingy ofI box bodies,comprising, in combination, asupport, alpair of sfide bars on said`support spaced-,apart and against .andibetween vwhichthe endsl of abox-tobe torinedai'eadapted to be` placed in-uprglit position toreceivel tlie y bottom of the box while itA is being' nailed thereto, apairx of pressen elementspivoted .on said support yto .swing intov twopositions,.one in which they are adapted to hold theends outwardly inupright possition against said side bars in nailing. position andtheother in which they assume a releasingpositiomaway fromsaid endsy andsaid boxobody., andfgrippersmovable to open and vclose by the action otsaid Ypresser elements, said opening movement being effected-by themovement of the presser -elements outwardly against said box endsandsaid closing movement being` effected by the relrasi-ngl movement ofsaidy presser elelwhich the ends of a box to be formed ai'e adaptedto beplaced in upright position'to receive the bottom of the box while it isbeing' nailed to said ends, a pair of presser elements pivoted on saidsupport to swing' into two positions, one in which they are adaptedtofliold the ends outwardly against said side bars in said nailing'position and the other in wlicli they assume a releasing position awaytroni saidV ends and box body, and spi-ing `grippers movableto open andclose by the action of said presser elements, s l opening'inoil'ementbeing eilected'by the nini ement of the presser elementsoutwardly against said box ends and said closing movenient being'eiieeted by the releasing movement of said presser elements, saidgrippers being positionedv and adapted wlienclosed to` inovably holdcleats along' the exposed' edges ot' the ends adjacent to thelopening'of the box body after the sides, ends and bottoni Vo't' the boxhave-been formed in readiness to tanally receive the top.A

3. Apparatus for aiding in the 'forming and nailingv of vbox bodies,comprising, in combination, a support, apair oiside ineinbeis on saidsupport spaced apart and against and. between lwhich the ends of a boxto befliormed are adapted-to beplaeed in upright-position.toreceiye thebottom ol? the boxwliile it is being-nailed to saidends. a pair otpresser elements,pivoted on said support to swing' into two positions,onein `which they areadaptedto hold the ends'outwardly` against saidside members in said nailiiigposition and the other. in which-theyassume a releasing position away-from i' said ends andback of saidiboxbody, andsprinej .grippers connected -with saidfpresser elementsand'inovable to open .and eloseby the action'offsaidpi'esser elements,said opening' inovementbeing effected by: the movement of thepresserelements outwardly against said boxends and Said closing movementbeing" `effected by the inward movement of sai-d presser elements actingunder. the inward movement of the box body against said presserelements, said grippers being positioned andadapted when elosedtomovably hold cleats along' the uppersed-ges ofthe ends oit the box body.

n 'VVILBURG SHARP,

